Zebra Mussels Boat Cleaning Lake Minnetonka

Zebra Mussels are now here in Lake Minnetonka!

- Small Clam Shell Like Mussels attach to your boat and can cause serious damage to your hull and motor.

- Regular cleaning through the boating season is recommended and will soon be required!

-State Law Requires Boaters to remove mussels from their boat before & after launching into lake.

ShipMates Power Sprays and Cleans to assure removal of unwanted Zebra Mussels.

---

---

More boat checks planned in fight against zebra mussels

• Article by: LAURIE BLAKE , Star Tribune 
• Updated: April 19, 2009 - 12:41 AM

Officials plan 30 percent more inspections and urge thorough boat-cleaning practices to try to slow the spread of ride-along invasive species on Lake Minnetonka.

Lake Minnetonka boaters will feel new pressure this year to guard against spreading exotic water life following the recent discovery of zebra mussels in Prior Lake -- the first metro-area lake to be infested by the unwanted shell creatures.

Officials plan a 30 percent increase in inspections of boats to look for ride-along aquatic life at public boat launches on Lake Minnetonka.

The Lake Minnetonka Conservation District is expected to approve an extra $21,000 next week to pay for more inspections by the Department of Natural Resources. The DNR will use the money to hire and train more inspectors, expanding hours of inspections from 3,364 last year to 4,672 this year, said Luke Skinner, supervisor of the DNR's invasive species program.

The Conservation District, which manages lake use for the 14 cities ringing the lake, is working with lakeshore property owners represented by the Lake Minnetonka Association to ramp up inspection spending from $44,450 last year to $65,800 this year. The lake association is contributing $10,000 of the additional $21,000 that will go toward heightened enforcement.

Earlier this spring, the association called for emergency boat-launch rules to prevent the spread of zebra mussels into the lake.

The conservation district did not adopt emergency rules, but Dick Osgood, executive director of the lake association, said the association is grateful for the stepped-up inspections.

"We know we can never get 100 percent coverage with inspections, but this is a significant step forward," he said.

Cleaning boats is crucial

The lake association also wants to train some of its members to fill in as volunteer inspectors when DNR staff members are not working. And it is making a plea to boaters to follow good boat-cleaning practices, Osgood said. "This is a serious matter, and everyone needs to pitch in.''

Zebra mussels litter beaches, smother native mussels, clog water intakes, and undermine fish and wildlife habitats.


To combat their spread, the DNR recommends that boaters remove all visible aquatic plants, animals and mud from boats, trailers, docks, lifts, rafts and other equipment including anchors, and drain all water from live wells, bilges and bait buckets before pulling away from a lake.

It advises owners to wash their boats with high-pressure sprayers using hot water and then dry them thoroughly inside and out before transporting them to another lake.

During targeted times, the DNR also will patrol roads and ticket boaters moving watercraft with plants hanging from them, Skinner said.

In related action, the Three Rivers Park District Board will hear a proposal Thursday to ramp up its parks' efforts to prevent the spread of exotic species.

As in past years, the park district will inspect boats at entrances to parks at Lake Independence, Medicine Lake and Lake Minnetonka.

This year, the district also plans to distribute more educational materials to people who buy boat-trailer parking permits, said John Barten, director of natural resources for Three Rivers.

The district also is considering putting out bottles of spray bleach at boat launches and offering a cell phone number for a recorded primer on how to clean a boat. The district may also enlist Eagle Scouts to hand out information and talk to boaters at lesser-used launches, Barten said.

Researchers: Zebra mussels spreading fast on Lake MinnetonkaPosted at 12:31 PM on December 21, 2011 by Elizabeth Dunbar (0 Comments) 
Filed under: Environment

Lake property owners' worst fear is coming true: The zebra mussel population in Lake Minnetonka is spreading rapidly, according to researchers studying the distribution and density of the invasive species.

Zebra mussels were first discovered in Wayzata Bay in 2010. The Minnehaha Creek Watershed is in the middle of a three-year study to figure out where and how the zebra mussels are spreading and to determine how rapidly they are multiplying.

The watershed today released results from June through September showing zebra mussels have spread to nearly all of the lake's eastern bays and are moving to western areas of the lake.

The study is unique in Minnesota in that it's looking at both the distribution and density over an extended period of time, watershed spokeswoman Telly Mamayek said.

She said researchers are receiving reports from the public about zebra mussels attached to boats and docks being pulled out of the water for the season. Zebra mussels can also be a nuisance for swimmers, as the mussels' shells can cut feet. The mussels also alter the food chain in lakes.

The second year of the study will begin next spring.

DNR Zebra Mussel Information

Zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha)

Species and Origin: Zebra mussels and a related species, the Quagga mussel, are small, fingernail-sized animals that attach to solid surfaces in water. Adults are 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches long and have D-shaped shells with alternating yellow and brownish colored stripes. Female zebra mussels can produce 100,000- 500,000 eggs per year. These develop into microscopic, free-living larvae (called veligers) that begin to form shells. After two-three weeks, the microscopic veligers start to settle and attach to any firm surface using “byssal threads”. It is the only freshwater mussel that can attach to objects. They are native to Eastern Europe and Western Russia and were brought over to the Great Lakes in ballast water of freighters. Populations of zebra mussels were discovered in the Great Lakes about 1988.

Impacts: Zebra mussels can cause problems for lakeshore residents and recreationists. Homeowners that take lake water to water lawns can have their intakes clogged. Mussels may attach to motors and possibly clog cooling water areas. Shells can cause cuts and scrapes if they grow large enough on rocks, swim rafts and ladders. Anglers may lose tackle as the shells can cut fishing line. Zebra mussels can also attach to native mussels, killing them. Zebra mussels filter plankton from the surrounding water. This filtering can increase water clarity, which might cause more aquatic vegetation to grow at deeper depths and more dense stands. If a lake has high numbers of mussels over large areas, this filter feeding could impact the food chain, reducing food for larval fish.

Status: They have spread throughout the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River from Brainerd downstream, and are now in other rivers and inland lakes. They are established in Minnesota and were first found in the Duluth/Superior Harbor in 1989. The Infested Waters list provides details of current infestations. Diving ducks, freshwater drum (sheepshead), and other fish eat zebra mussels, but will not significantly control them.

Means of spread: Mussels attach to boats, nets, docks, swim platforms, boat lifts, and can be moved on any of these objects. They also can attach to aquatic plants, making it critical to remove all aquatic vegetation before leaving a lake. Microscopic larvae may be carried in water contained in bait buckets, bilges or any other water moved from an infested lake or river.

Where to look: Examine boat hulls, swimming platforms, docks, aquatic plants, wood and other objects along shorelines of lakes and rivers. Join in the Volunteer Zebra Mussel Monitoring Program and report your efforts each year. 

Zebbra Mussels Positive affects on Lake Geneva, WI

Located in Southeastern Wi., Geneva is approx. 80 miles from Chicago, and 60 Miles from Milwaukee.....I live 45 miles north of Chicago, and 20 minutes from LG :)

Geneva's size, beautiful shorelines, and crystal clear water has always been a big attraction to most of the summertime seasonal activity that takes place at LG.....

Some of my first deep water spoon research took place on Lake Geneva between August, and October of 2007.....Several years prior to my research, LG experienced an infestation of Zebra mussels. Initially, these little creatures were demonized for having the ability to destroy vital components of the food chain......this has not yet to be proven. In fact, several species of fish are now known to readily consume, and digest this highly nutritious food source. Lake Geneva's Pumpkinseed population has capitalized on this resource, and produces some of the largest, and most beautiful "seeds" in the state.

Geneva has always been known for its water quality, but once the Zebra mussels occupied LG, 10 ft visibilities quickly attained a depth of 15 ft.....The filtering qualities of the Zebra mussels actually changed the game. Bluegills were suddenly making beds in 13-15 FOW, the now gin clear water had pushed the gills deeper than ever before. The added light penetration also contributed to deeper weed growth....16-18' not uncommon. Late summer temps, and conditions typically push gills as deep as 40ft.